By Sheila Loring, Carolina Communiqué Managing Editor

It's Spring again, one of the most beautiful seasons in North Carolina. Flowering flora are filled with candy-colored blooms, and suddenly taking a long walk outside is a delight, not a chore.

Career development doesn't need to be a chore. Visit the Carolina Communiqué every quarter to learn from your peers' insights. Get inspired to give back to the community and reap the benefits.

This quarter's issue includes the following articles:

• Michael Harvey and Meredith Kinder draw parallels between technical communication, questioning your sources, and playing sports. Are you persistent in the game of technical writing? Do you have reasonable goals and effective equipment?
• Renee Freeling helps you prepare for a career in technical writing.
• Christina Eftekhar recaps Jeff Davidson's presentation on managing information overload and disruptions at work.
• As the saying goes, "Give and you shall receive." It's true as a chapter member. Read about Judges in the chapter competitions, who sacrifice hours evaluating publications. The return on investment is immense.
• Chapter president Andrea Wenger announces the chapter's Community of Excellence Award, encouraging members to spread the word about the rewards of chapter membership.

What do you wish you'd known as a burgeoning tech writer? What have you learned at a recent conference, or how have you tackled a specific problem at work?

I encourage you to help fellow writers by crafting a short article for the newsletter. Authoring guidelines and the publication schedule are on the website.

Sheila can be reached at newsletter at stc-carolina dot org.